THE BEER NUT: Wachusett brings the Brew Yard inside

On the heels of the opening last summer of its outdoor Brew Yard, Wachusett Brewing Company in Westminster has continued its efforts to make itself a destination for beer lovers.

This past Saturday, Wachusett opened up its indoor Brew Yard, where people can buy pints of beers, grab food from the Brew Yard food truck and fill growlers.

“We couldn’t be more excited to now offer a year-round experience that the Brew Yard was able to create this summer” said Ned LaFortune, CEO of Wachusett Brewing. “The Brew Yard will hopefully be a great addition to the local community as well as the overall New England craft beer scene.

The new indoor space was built using reclaimed wood from a 200-year-old barn. It also features a former Airstream camper named "Wally" - after the pioneering manufacturer of the silvery travel trailer, Wally Byam - that has been converted into a bar with multiple taps. The indoor Brew Yard also features a large copper kettle, indoor games and garage doors that open up to the outdoor area.

In other beery news, Exhibit ‘A’ Brewing of Framingham announced that they recently donated more than $1,200 to the Homes for Our Troops, a Taunton charity that builds accessible homes for disabled veterans.

The money was raised as part of the Black Ale Project. Founded by former beer blogger Dave Pappas, the Black Ale Project asks brewers to create a dark beer of some sort with the goal of donating a portion or all of the proceeds to a charity that helps veterans.

Exhibit 'A' brewed a whiskey barrel-aged imperial stout named Hard Corps. The 9.9 percent ABV beer was aged for nine months before it was sold exclusively in the Morton Street taproom.

In all, more than 30 breweries have raised more than $36,000 for the Black Ale Project, with more expected from several participating breweries whose numbers aren't yet in. Other breweries that have participated include Medusa Brewing Company of Hudson, which raised $7,100 with their first batch and have released a second; Wormtown Brewery of Worcester, which raised $3,000; Idle Hands Craft Ales of Malden, which raised more than $1,000, and Castle Island Brewing Company of Norwood, which raised $3,000.

Party hardy

If you’re looking for something to do to ring in 2018, Harpoon Brewery, 306 Northern Ave., Boston is hosting a New Year’s Eve party from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Deejay Brian Smith will be playing music from the '80s and '90s, and there will be themed stations throughout the beer hall with food and, of course, beer that will give a taste of how New Year’s is celebrated in other parts of the world. There will also be dancing and caricature booths throughout the night.

Tickets for the event are available at http://harpoonnye2017.splashthat.com/FBevent.

Norman Miller is a Daily News staff writer. Email him at nmiller@wickedlocal.com or call 508-626-3823. Check out the Beer Nut blog at http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/section/blogs01?taxid=646&start=2. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @RealBeerNut and on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerBeerNut.